It was very cold back in 2011 we’d had a severe winter, Xmas and New Years had finished and I was getting the kids back into a routine for when they went back to school. My daughter was going to be 5 in April so I made sure we were prepared and ready. Heating was on full power to keep the house warm. It was also the last winter before I became a single parent of 2 children. By May of 2012 I was living on my own with 2 very young children. I started from scratch with everything, I managed with my own money with help from my parents as some weeks we struggled other weeks we were fine. It was swings and roundabouts until I got organized. I had a part time job and ran a small simple home based business with amazing support along the way. I will never forget the people within our business, I miss it dearly as it went into administration. Within the time of this happening I had been finding my way through different challenges and it’s made me a stronger person with a much more positive outlook on life and myself. If I hadn’t have gone through these challenges I wouldn’t be where I am today and the person I have become. Whenever I felt low I would sit outside on my patio with my mum watching the kids play in the garden and talk to her about anything that worried me, challenges I faced, debt issues the list was endless. My Garden seems to be my happy place I felt that communicating with my mum helped me, as well as taking in what I thought needed to be done with the garden as it was looking a mess. I had no clue so my mum would tell me what plants were what, where to put them, soil it needs you name it she knew! Unfortunately my business went into administration and my mum ended up in hospital almost at the same time and sadly passed away. It was a very sad and hard time for all of our family and close friends. I became a lolly pop lady for the school on my estate prior to this happening as I wanted something different from shop life but it didn’t work out in the end. After the funeral and getting back on my feet I felt lost, alone, down you name it, I didn’t know what to do with my life however my children were my priority and they really missed their grandmother and cuddles. She was the most amazing lady in the whole world she will always be in our heart guiding and looking down on us.
We often have Mr Robin in the garden. I believe he comes to visit, sent by my Mum, I always think of her when I see a Robin, I spent a lot of time in my garden after that. As well as finding a full time job and quitting a zero hour contract with a Catering company I settled in with a Parcel company as it worked for us. Working around the kids and looking after my Father who without fail I always make sure that I have time at the weekend to see him, it makes his day. I will tell you why the duck picture? It was few years back I was on the phone to my partner after finishing work one afternoon, A cup of coffee in one hand, phone in the other sat in my conservatory. Jack my son shouted down to me about something. I said to Andy at the time I will call him tonight once I’ve settled after tea and finished jobs. Went to sort Jack out, Aimee was in her room on her phone then we heard a quacking sound. Jack and myself looked out of his bedroom window and blow me there were 2 ducks on the lawn outside. Where had they come from? As you can see from the Female (on the right of the picture) She was rather big and almost ready to find a place to build a nest to lay her eggs. They visited for 2 years and I finally got a picture of them as we gave them a bit of bread. You can’t feed them a lot of bread as it is not good for their digestion. It was nice to see them and their visits were lovely however in the past 2 years we’ve not seen them at all.
I’ve done a lot of digging and planting in the garden, replaced conifers to fencing and it looks a lot tidier. Conifers were slowly dying off so now it’s a little haven of bushes, buddleia trees, tulips, lilies, lavenders, Hostas, Rose bushes are getting growth on them. An amazing friend of mine gave us 2 rose cuttings from her previous house and we planted them and they are growing a treat. I love roses, my mum was a lover of tulips and Carnations which are at the bottom of the garden. I made a bedding area in memory of her with a buddleia tree to the right. Its trial and error in my garden if a plant grows then excellent but if it doesn’t it just dies. I’m still learning 🙂 With a Pear tree in the middle of a tidy lawn I’ve extended the lawn and taken a shed with electrics inside it down as it was rotting away with nothing but rubbish in it. We have added a weeping cherry blossom tree and salix tree which are both beautiful when they are in full bloom. Garden birds absolutely love these trees. The patio is quite a decent size with a table that sits 8 people and a bench for when I have quiet evenings or mornings before the start of a busy day. I always find something to do in the garden if its not dead heading or cutting the lawn it’s buying pots for patio and bulbs planted . On one side of the patio we have a garage that’s pebble dashed all the way round. Needs a fair bit of work doing to it but our projects are inside the house at present and eventually a new gate which attaches between the garage and the corner of the house. A bit further down the garden I used to have a second patio however I’m trying to transform it into a little wildlife area. The slabs have just about had it so I’ve been getting ideas from the internet doing it bit by bit but with long working hours it’s not an easy process and to the side where there used to be a greenhouse that’s been dug up I’ve mainly planted bushes with scattered snakeshead plant, daffodils and at the back is a clematis which has covered a large area of our metal shed and looks absolutely gorgeous in the summer. We are slowly replacing fence panels at the far back and in 2025 we will level out garden with sleepers this will help to seperate lawn and plants. we having issues with bamboo at the moment scratching our heads and wondering where it has come from it’s in the lawn too! Which is not great! As I’m writing this it’s now November and no way I’ll get the lawnmower out, it’s Just way too damp. And all the starling are forming into small groups going crazy over food especially our pear tree! All pears are now on the floor starlings and pigeons are feasting on them. Robin is back into his territory again. Never fails each morning and evening of his presence. I have noticed new flowers propping up in the garden looking beautiful i have left them as sometimes weeds are gorgeous to leave a lone. We nearly at the end of our projects in the house which means i can save up for garden and my daughters bedroom. Can’t forget our anniversary holiday coming up in June! exciting time ahead
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